Happy Halloween!

Wow...I can't believe it's been this long since I've posted anything!!! We've been just a little bit busy. We had an amazing summer...spending about six weeks visiting our families back home. I will post "summary" pics sometime soon. This semester has been CRAZY. I am looking forward to next semester (my last) when doctoral applications will be done and I can simply enjoy our last few months here.

Ollie is a pleasure, as always. He's our little conversationalist...engaging just about anyone he can in dialogue. Sometime near the end of the summer, he started using complete sentences. Few people believe that he is still one year old...and speaking so proficiently. He amazes us. There are still funny mix-ups, especially with pronouns like "I" and "you"...which help to remind us just what a little guy he is. :)

For Halloween, Ollie was a tomato! He loved the day...trick-or-treating at Mama's school, Daddy's work, and participating in a Halloween parade with other children from our apartments. As soon as he saw his daddy at work, he ran down the restaurant alley, tomato costume bobbing up and down, shouting, "Trick-or-treat, Daddy! Ollie's a tomato!" Coffee drinkers at the sidewalk cafe along the way were pleasantly amused. We decided not to trick-or-treat this year, but gave Ollie full control over answering the door and distributing treats. He was hilarious! He would squeal with delight each time the doorbell rang and carefully select the candy he deemed appropriate to give away to each little visitor. Our neighbor across the hall was wonderful with Ollie...encouraging trick-or-treaters to say, "Happy Halloween, Ollie," which Ollie, of course, enjoyed. Each time we would arrive at the outside door at about the same time, he would have a new trick or game to play with his little neighbor, Ollie. I'm thankful for good neighbors! A few times Ollie asked kids to come in and play...which was very cute. He was especially excited when he recognized a costume or character...and once even gave a little boy a hug! The most exciting trick-or-treater of the evening was when Daddy came home early from work. Ollie insisted he go outside again and again to ring the doorbell so that Ollie could answer it and give him new treats.

Ollie trying on pieces of his costume as Mama makes them.